Board Thread:Pokémon Help/@comment-31398341-20171026040947/@comment-27535813-20180312070556

Yea I agree that it is really hard to actually rank a lot of Pokemon now due to the lack of access to moves like Defog, Stealth Rock or Knock Off. The fact that a lot of Pokemon lose coverage because of a Move Tutor-exclusive move it becomes hard to justify and rank them accordingly, or if it's even worth doing such an action. It is indubitably possible to rank them still(even though Move Tutor may have a better effect on it) if you wish to nominate them for a certain rank, but by all means, please do give a more viable reason to rank it.

For example, I see a lot of people just listing the good points of a Pokemon and then saying "it deserves ___ rank". This should not be the general/acceptable behaviour because you have never mentioned anything about how it affects meta, what is its role, how well it can fit into teams(such that it does not limit teambuilding; this especially comes into play when looking at Megas/Z-Move users), how strong of a niche it has when playing its role(ensuring if it even deserves at least a C rank), and more importantly, if it is outclassed.

When you want to rationalise a Pokemon's usage, you are the one who has to give a supporting argument, and at the same time, there is no reason to limit yourself in doing so. You would definitely have to respect each other's opinion when debating, but that is not going to be your main form of argument saying that "everyone should just agree with each other". A lot of Pokemon are going to be vying for a spot, and certainly it will be a sad story of which Pokemon gets subordinated and whatnot.

Also I see that not a lot of people are willing to type out at least a long paragraph, no one is going to help substitute in words for you, you would have to do it for yourself. Try to avoid one-liners when engaging in said debates.

TL;DR: Do not limit yourself when arguing your point about a Pokemon's designated rank or so, and make sure your argument actually stays relevant. Move Tutor and Choice Items not being available yet is bound to affect a lot of Pokemon, but even if it is not here it does not mean a certain Pokemon does not warrant discussion, just that it may not be as viable it can be.

P.S.: This is just a message to the majority that come here only to type out a few lines or end up derailing arguments. Please do not treat this as an insult or anything, I would just wish to have a more conducive environment where everyone can pertain to the discussion.